Dispenser



Aug. 14, 1951 G. E. BEDINGER DISPENSER INVEN TOR.

G. E. BEDINGEIR Patented Aug. 14, 1951 OFFICE DISPENSE'R Glenn E.Bedinger, Coral Gables, Fla. Appliction May 16, 1947, Serial'No. 748,550

This invention relates 130 a dispensing device for sheet material andmore partitzularly to a device for holding and dis'pensing timetablesprograms or the like in an eiir or railroad Station, hotel,theatre, or other place where it is'desired to dispense information.

Numerous types of dispensers have losen employedin the past for Variousproducts including sheet material with information thereon.

However the devices of the prior art have had inhernt deficiencies suchas complexity of structure and unpleasing appearance, and the springmembers associated with said devices have often been unsatisfactory invarious ways.

Accordingly, it is an objct of the pr6sent invention to provide a simpleand inexpensive dispenser of few parts and requiring a minimum f laborin its manufacture and which is attractive and convenient to use.

Another and more particular object of the invention is the provision ofa spring member of improved characteristics designed particularly foruse in combination with a relatively inflexible fixed member as a,dispenser of sheet material, such as time tables o1 the like. Althoughthe spring member of the present invention is described in combinationwith a, dispenser, it is obvious that its applications are not limitedto this use but that it may be employed in numerous other combinations.

Another object of the present invention is the provision 01 a springmernber, in association with a dispenser er the 1ike, having arelatively wide range of operation in order that the capacity of the.clevice may be relatively large; a further object is the provision of aspring member capable of numerous oscillations without acquiring a fixedsei 01 becoming weakenea or otherwise incapable of efiective operation.

Another object is the provision of a spring member, f01 a dispenser 01-the like, which possesses a fiexibility suitable 130 the material beingdispensed in Order that too greao effort Will not have to be expended inremoving the sheet material, thus subjecting itto tearing nor wil1 thesheet material be held so loosely that it is easi1y disorganized orscattered.

Further objects and advantages of this invention will be apparent fromthe following specificatioii taken in conjunction with the accompanyingdrawings, wherein:

The single figure of the drawing is a perspective view of the dispenser.

With reference to the drawings, the dispenser comprises a base I0 130which is attached an up- 2 Claims. (C1. 211-51) 2 standing relativelyinflexible member or support H 'having a foot I2,a relatively thinupright bo'd3' portion I3, and a pair of curved arms or guiqles I4.

Said base I0 has a beve1'ecl edge I5 on its forward portion for' thereception 015 a name plate or the like I6 attached by any suitablemeans, such as screw fasteners l l. Also attached t0 saicl base is areceptacle I8 in the form of a" hollow sleeve member which may be usedt0 dispense courtesy items, such as cigarettes, chewing gum, toothpicks,or the like, by the users of the dispenser. Said receptacle ispositioned adjacent the side edge of the support H so as to frictionallyengage the same and assists in mailltaining the rigidity of saidsupport.

Attached to the base I0 and the support II by screw fastem'ngs or othermeans 20 is a spring member er follower 22. Said spring member has a,foot 23, a first curved portion 24, a second curved portion 25, a thirdcurved portion 26 and a fourth curved portion 21.

Said spring is of relatively thin flexible sheet material and. isdesigned withstand a maximum amount of use through a, relatively largerange of operation without substantial diminution of strength o1 failurecaused by a relatively large bending moment.

In the spring of the present invention, it is noted that there are threearcs or bends about which -loending moments may occur. These arcs extendover substantially all of the free portion of the spring so that thebending stress is not concentrated. in any one portion thereof, thearrangemen of the arcs resulting in longer life 0f the spring.Furthermore, because the bending takes place about three arcs of thespring, il; is apparent that the flexibility of the spring will begreater and its range o1 operation and 1ife correspondingly increased.By varying the radius of the arcs of the spring it is possible to varythe force required to produce a movement of the free end of the spring.

The upper curved portion 21 of the spring 22 has no bending momentsabout it but serves merely as a. finger hold for use in grasping thefree end of the spring as when placing a pack of sheet material in thedispenser, and also provides a rounded surface ofiering 1ittleresistance to the passage of sheet material.

The arms I4 on the support H in addition to having a pleasing appearanceserve as guides between which the sheet material is received, in orderto maintain the same in a relatively for the material to be dispensedhaving a. re1atively thin upright body portion with a foot portion atthe 1ower end thereof secured' to sai'd" base and a.t its upper endarms;turneddown to form guides, a spring member having its 10werextremity attached to sa.id base and to tIie-ffiot portion of saidsupport, die upper portion of said spxingbeing; curved to adapt ittobear againstthe;material to-:be dispensedy and a;- hollowsleeve havingits lower end attached to thebase and' with one side in frictionalengagemenir with a side edge of the support to assist in maintaining;the rigidity of. said support.

2LA dispenser for sheet materiaL comprising a; base; an upstandingrelatively infiexible mem-- her attached thereto, and a spring memberattached 130 the*base and the-upstanding mernber,

said spring member having a first arcuate section of relatively sma1lradius a second arcuate section of a larger radius thar 1 said firstarcuate section, a third arcuate section having a larger radius thansaid first and said second arcuate sections, 211- fourth arcuate sectionproviding a band hold for the free end of said spring, and a hollows1eeve attached '00 said base and positioned in frictiona l engagementWith a side edge of saidupstanding relatively inflexible member toassist in maihtaining the' rigidity of said member.

GLENN E. BEDINGER.

REFERENCES CITED Theiollowing references are of record in the fil'e oft1'iis patiant:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date.

3381274" Karns Mar. 23, 1886 1122311 Saxton Dec. 29,l914 1208533 FolgerDes; 12, 1916 1493'252 Dukehart May 6, 1924 1695027 Riddle Dec. 11, 1928FOREIGN PATENTS Number Country Date" 16,-116 G'reatB'ritain 1905

